


We Are the Road Untaken

by Hollyspacey



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Banter, Drinking, F/M, Post-Thor: The Dark World, Second Chances
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-09
Updated: 2015-11-09
Packaged: 2018-04-30 18:20:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5174336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hollyspacey/pseuds/Hollyspacey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After surviving yet another alien attack, Darcy spots a familiar face in London.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Are the Road Untaken

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place immediately after T:TDW, and during the Agents of Shield episode, 'The Well', although it isn't exactly AoS compliant. Un-beta'd, so all mistakes are my own. Title stolen from 'Stick' by Ingrid Michaelson.  
> If Tumblr is your thing, find me [here](http://www.hollyspacey.tumblr.com) and we can cry over Marvel together. :)

“Y’know, I debated between a Walking Dead joke and a Casper joke.”

Phil froze at the sound of her voice. Darcy watched as he slowly straightened, never looking her way. “Which one did you decide on?”

She shrugged, rolling a piece of rubble beneath her boot, “Dunno. Are you a zombie or a ghost?”

“Would you believe none of the above?”

Darcy hummed, “It’s just that you look remarkably alive for someone who is supposed to be six feet under.”

Phil slowly turned and stared at her, “Surely you didn’t think a little thing like a scepter to the heart could take me down.”

Darcy could hear a thread of anger running through his words, not at her, but his death was obviously a touchy subject. “I know some people who are pretty certain it did.”

He huffed a soft laugh and looked down at the pile of rubble at his feet, not responding. Darcy had known from the moment she’d spotted him, that they were going to have to talk.

After the world was saved (again), SHIELD had shown up, grilled everyone, gave them the old, ‘Don’t leave town,’ shtick, and released them. Only Darcy had accidentally left behind her favorite hat, and since it had literally survived intergalactic battle, she couldn’t just let some random SHIELD lackey toss it in the garbage. So, she’d turned back around to get it, only to see a ghost.

He was standing all the way across the courtyard, but she would’ve known that man anywhere. She’d cared for him, mourned for him, and there he was, striding across the lawn in that well-fitted suit and his Agent face. Once she started breathing again, Darcy realized that she wasn’t hallucinating, that he really was alive, and so close. She’d called Jane and said to go on without her, and waited until SHIELD started clearing out for the night.

When she saw him wandering back into the library alone, she’d taken her chance and followed him. Darcy watched him quietly weave through the rubble, willing the confusion and excitement at him being alive to go away so she could speak without the urge to throw herself into his arms.

Darcy gestured at the mess surrounding them, “You gotta clean all this up?”

A wry smile covered his face, then, “So it would seem. The work of a SHIELD agent is never done, I’m afraid.”

“I’m sure. I suppose I should apologize, at least some of this mess is because of me.”

Phil nodded, “I saw the files. As soon as I realized Dr. Foster was involved, I knew you wouldn’t be far behind. Right in the thick of the action again, I see.”

“Yep. You know me, can’t resist a good alien invasion.”

He studied her for a moment, a rare softness in his eyes, “Yes, well, I’m glad you’re alright.”

“Same. Although for slightly different reasons, in your case.”

“Of course.”

“So, I won’t even ask how you’re standing in front of me because I suspect the answer is like Level 1000 or something ridiculous like that, and if you told me, you’d have to kill me.”

“No, not kill. Just banish you to a remote village somewhere in the arctic.”

She snorted, “You already did that. Remember Tromso?”

“That was hardly a remote village. I’ve been there, it’s nice.”

_Nice_ was not necessarily the first word Darcy would have chosen, “Yes, it was lovely. I nearly froze my tits off, but the view was great. Also, you know, there was the whole thing where we were sent there under false pretenses.”

“You would’ve fought us every step of the way.”

She nodded, “Probably. You know, that’s where we were when we found out you died. I may have hacked SHIELD again.”

He huffed a soft laugh. but he didn’t look amused, he just stared down at the ground. “About that, Dar-”

“No, no. I shouldn’t have mentioned it. Sorry. I really am glad you’re ok.” And she was, regardless of the circumstances. 

Phil looked up, meeting her eyes, “Thank you.”

At that moment, Darcy’s phone beeped and she glanced down, “Ok, well, I gotta go, Jane’s looking for me. Listen, there’s a pub down the street, on the corner. You should meet me tonight, nine o’clock.”

“Why? Were you planning on blackmailing free drinks out of me in exchange for keeping my secret?”

“Well, now there’s an idea,” Darcy grinned, “But, no. I’m just guessing your status as a living, breathing human isn’t exactly public knowledge.”

Phil gave a small shake of his head, and Darcy nodded, “I thought so. I just figured that maybe you might like to spend some time with someone who knew you way back when. C’mon, I’ll fill you in on all the gossip you’ve missed.”

Phil stared at her a beat, “I might be able to make it.”

The corner of Darcy’s mouth tilted up as she turned around to leave, “Good. It’ll be like old times.”

 

Darcy couldn’t help but bring up the way they used to meet in Puente Antiguo. After Thor’s brother had thrown his little hissy fit and Thor had left, once SHIELD had stepped into their lives again.

It started as Darcy trying her hardest to get under Phil’s skin. Hassling him constantly, being as difficult as possible as a sort of retribution for the run-around SHIELD had given them in the beginning. She’d complained loudly and endlessly about their stolen goods and how one of Jane’s machines now smelled funny when it ran for too long, had griped for hours about how they weren’t allowed outside of the lab unless it was important business and they were accompanied by an agent.

Eventually, Coulson had taken pity on everyone and given Darcy the go-ahead for a night away from the lab, the only condition being that he was to be her escort. Not that Darcy minded, exactly. She liked Coulson, even if he was a SHIELD agent and also kind of a stick in the mud. She liked how adorable he was when he was getting frustrated with her, especially.

So, she took advantage of her night off, dragging him all over the small town, making him buy her dinner at Izzy’s, and then finally having him accompany her to the only bar in town. It had survived the attack relatively unscathed, one of the few places in town that did. Darcy made Phil take a shot with her and they just sat and talked as Darcy proceeded to get tipsy on drinks that someone else was paying for.

“Are you sure you’re supposed to be buying girls drinks on your super secret government agency credit card?”

“Of course. This is official SHIELD business,” he replied dryly, as he sipped his beer.

“Uh huh. So, I have a question. Can I call you Phil? Because ‘Agent’ and ‘Coulson’ seem very proper, and we just took a shot together, I feel like we’re friends.”

“How do you know my first name?”

Darcy primly sipped her drink, “I have my ways. Ways that I will not be telling you about because I feel like I might get into trouble.”

“You know, if you keep hacking into our files, you may end up working for us.”

“No way. Who would help Janey save the world if I weren’t around?”

He arched an eyebrow, the hint of a smile on his face, “You’re right. We’d all be doomed.”

Darcy nodded sagely, “I agree.”

They nursed their drinks in silence, before he spoke, “You can call me Phil.”

Darcy didn’t reply, just grinned at him and kicked him softly under the table.

When he dropped her off at the lab later that night, she glanced back before she walked inside, “Thanks for tonight. Can we do this again? I mean, you know how I get when I’m stuck in there for too long. Think of it as a morale boost. For everyone involved.”

“I suppose that would be alright. Would you prefer another agent next time?”

“No, I want you,” she flailed her hands around a bit, “Y’know, to be my chaperone, or whatever. I had fun. Unless you have better things to do, which is cool. I understand.”

“No, no, I don’t mind. I had fun, also.”

They stood there in front of the lab awkwardly. It was most definitely not a date, but it kinda felt like one. They’d eaten, hung out at the bar, and had some remarkably good conversation. But, it was _so_ not a date.

Darcy finally spoke, “Ok. Well, I’m gonna go check on Jane and hit the hay. I’ll see you around.”

“Goodnight, Darcy.”

“Night, Phil.”

They continued this odd not-courtship. Darcy would have a crappy day in the lab and she’d catch Phil as he was leaving, asking casually, “I’m gonna scream if I don’t get away from here, you wanna take me out tonight?” And he would.

Or, she’d be hard at work, and he’d stop by her desk, a concerned look on his face, “Are you alright, Miss Lewis? You look like you could use a drink.” She’d take in the slight smirk he had, and emphatically agree that, yes, she did need a drink. She’d positively burst if she didn’t have one.

If Jane or Erik or any of the other suits noticed there was more to their late night jaunts to the bar, or thought there was something odd going on, they didn’t say a word.

On more than one occasion as they sat across from each other in their corner of that dusty room, Darcy wondered just what this was between them. There were never any romantic overtures from either of them. Not that Darcy didn’t think about it. She thought he was handsome, liked spending time with him, had thought about how nice it might be to grab that tie, loosen him up a bit and drag his lips down to hers.

If it were anyone other than Phil, Darcy would have made a move. Or at least given him a pretty big green light to make his own. But nothing ever happened.  They just continued spending time with each other under the guise of relieving Darcy’s cabin fever.

Then one day, he left. Sent away by SHIELD, off to work on another project.

When he’d told her he was leaving, she’d been proud of how calmly she’d taken it. She didn’t know then that she wouldn’t see him again. That everything she’d grown to love about their odd little friendship, or whatever it was, was going to end. That the blase goodbye she'd given him was _the_ goodbye.

She wouldn't know any of that until later, in Tromso, when she'd hacked SHIELD's files and saw that heartbreaking _deceased_ beside his name.

 

But now he was back. Through some miracle or trickery or whatever, Darcy didn't really care at the moment. He was alive. And if she knew him like she thought she once had, he'd be there with her soon.

Darcy strolled into the pub a little before nine. She ordered herself a drink and sat back in her favorite booth, making sure she could keep an eye on the door.

Not five minutes had passed before Phil walked in, no longer in his agent duds. He’d changed into a dark pair of jeans and a soft blue button-down with the sleeves rolled up. Darcy sighed, she’d forgotten just how appealing that particular look was on him.

He spotted her and gave a small wave, stopping at the bar to order his own drink before joining her, “Miss Lewis.”

“Oh, now I’m Miss Lewis again?”

He grinned at her, “Thought I’d try it once for old time’s sake.”

“Uh huh.” She watched as he slid into the booth across from her, and it felt like no time had passed at all. "So, I'm getting the very real vibe that whatever happened to you after you died is not something you wanna talk about."

"I'd prefer not to, no."

"Hmm. Well, I'll pretend like having a drink with someone who died two years ago is totally normal."

“I’d think you’d be used to the abnormal by now.”

“Y’know, I actually thought when we came to London that things would be kind of normal.” She laughed at the look of skepticism on Phil’s face, “Right? Wishful thinking. Actually though, it was pretty normal for awhile. But then we got here and Erik was...not coping well. And, honestly, neither was Jane. She missed Thor. And some people still weren’t taking her seriously. They thought she was a crackpot, and I think she started believing them. It kinda fell to me to be the responsible one, and you know that is not a title I like to bear.”

“I know. I also know that you are more responsible than you like to let on. You like for people to underestimate you.”

“You never did, though. Did you?”

Phil studied her from across the table, “No. I know how dangerous it is to make that mistake.”

Darcy chuckled, “Dangerous. That’s not a word many people would use to describe me.”

“Only if they didn’t know you.”

“And you do? Know me, that is.”

“I like to think I did once upon a time.”

Darcy hummed softly in response and gave a begrudging nod, “Maybe you did.”

The conversation flowed easily between them, it was like old times. Darcy told him about what they had been up to since his death. Told him all about the attack on London. Hey, she’d signed about a million NDAs. She might never be able to mention the words ‘space elves’ again, might as well get it out of her system. He told her the bare-bones version of his return to SHIELD and the little group he was in charge of.

The night wore on, each falling back into that pattern of how things used to be between them.

“Back in New Mexico, did you ever think that something might happen?” Darcy didn't feel the need to elaborate on what she was saying and Phil must have agreed.

After a beat he nodded, “Yes, of course. You?”

She took a sip of her drink, “Yeah, I did.”

“It never would have worked out.”

She huffed a soft laugh, “No, probably not. It would have been fun while it lasted though.”

“Yes, I'm sure it would've been.”

They shared a look that was heated in the way that so many of theirs had been in New Mexico but also full of something else, full of the weight of so many moments. The time they'd had together, the time that has been taken from them, and now, the time they got back for themselves.

Darcy finally broke the silence, “You know I hated you in the beginning.”

Phil chuckled, “Yes, I know. You weren't exactly subtle.”

“Thank you,” she said, looking incredibly pleased with herself.

“I'm not sure I liked you much either. You seemed intent to make things as difficult as possible for me.”

“Oh, I was.” 

He raised an eyebrow, “It worked, you were a thorn in my side.”

“Well then. Mission accomplished, I guess. And it turned out ok, we became friends. Or whatever we were. Were we friends?” 

“We were friends.”

Darcy had never known quite how Phil viewed her, but she'd quickly come to consider him as one of her friends. It was nice to hear that he felt the same way, “Yeah, I figured. But you know how you are.”

“How am I?”

Darcy shrugged, “I think ‘incredibly difficult to read’ would be fairly descriptive.”

“I'm not that bad.”

“Uh huh. It wasn't until nearly the end that I realized what we were doing. That our nights out were more than just you distracting me from being irritating.”

He winced, “Huh. Well then, I think a better description would be ‘ineffective at flirting.’”

Darcy’s eyes lit up as she placed her hand over her chest in exaggerated shock, “Phil Coulson. Are you saying you _flirted_ with me?”

He chuckled, “There you go proving my point. Yes, Darcy, I was flirting. Not very well, it would seem.”  

“I'm just kidding. I did pick up on the vague whiff of flirtation from time to time,” Darcy said with a smirk.

She wasn't lying. It was always so subtle. But then again everything about Phil was subtle, so maybe that's why it took her awhile to notice, but there was definitely flirtation there. She had just never known what to do with the information. How to move from her own equally subtle flirtation to something more. So, they ended up in a cycle of polite, respectful conversation, keeping the flames licking at the edges of their interactions.

Darcy had always appreciated their time together, but she'd never had the chance to actually tell him before. She couldn't let this one pass her by.

“Y’know, I’d watch you in the lab, or with your fellow jack-booted thugs, and you were all business. _The_ SHIELD agent. So serious, and intimidating, and humorless, and I kinda hated you. You were everything I’ve ever wanted to rebel against. And then you took me to that crappy little bar, and it was like as soon as we sat down, you were a different person. That Agent mask came off, and you were funny, and interesting, and kind of a sassy little shit. You were just Phil.” She shrugged, “And, I don’t know. I liked it, and you. I liked that I was the one to draw that out of you.”

“You were always good at that.” And she was. She'd brought out a side of Phil that surprised even him.

“Did you miss me after you left?”

Something unnameable covered Phil’s face, and his voice was soft as he spoke, “Yeah, I did.”

“For what it’s worth, I missed you, too.” 

She watched his face, the emotions that were shuffling just under the surface, and she made a decision. One that she should have made long before now. Darcy took a deep breath and the words tumbled from her mouth, “Let’s get out of here. Get a room or something.”

Phil studied her intently, “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Listen, tomorrow, I’ll be stuck in the lab all day, drowning in a river of data, reliving every moment that I’m really wanting to forget. I’ll be Darcy Lewis, comic relief, intern. And you’ll probably be in some random corner of the world doing mysterious spy shit, probably threatening someone. You’ll be Agent Coulson of SHIELD. But right now, we’re just Darcy and Phil. Right now, we’re the people we were back then. We can be those other things tomorrow, but let’s just be us tonight. This may be our last chance.”

Darcy threw back the rest of her drink, slightly embarrassed at how she’d just laid it all out there like that. Her embarrassment was short-lived, however. Phil reached over and grabbed her hand, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles. The heat from his skin seemed to travel over the entire surface of her body.

It was such an innocent gesture, but more than they’d ever made towards each other, and the look in Phil’s eyes was anything but innocent. “I always picture you as that girl in the bar,” he paused, “Yeah, ok. Let’s go.”

Darcy nodded and grabbed her purse. They called a taxi and stood outside, shoulder to shoulder, looking to all the world like they weren’t about to dive into the abyss together. When the taxi pulled up, Darcy shuffled across the seat and Phil slid in next to her. He directed the driver to a hotel and they were on their way. Phil looked down at her, hesitating, before wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close.

Darcy wondered how it could feel so weird to be touching him like this, but also so right. She placed her hand on Phil’s thigh, feeling the muscles clench beneath her fingers. Neither one made another move for the rest of the ride. When they got out and entered the hotel, Phil steered her to the elevator. This was obviously where he was staying.

Once the elevator doors closed, Phil turned and pressed closer to Darcy. He tucked a lock of hair behind her ears and leaned forward, their lips meeting. It was like someone flipped a switch. Phil closed in the space between them, pressing her back into the elevator. Darcy clenched his shirtfront in her fist as she kissed him, gasping as his hand slipped under her shirt to brush at her bare waist.

The elevator dinged and they broke apart, Phil leading Darcy down the hall. Once the door was closed behind them, their hands found each others bodies again. Darcy unbuttoned Phil’s shirt, tugging it off, as Phil ran his hands under her sweater, up and over her bra. His fingers played at her nipples through the bra and Darcy sighed, “Does this room have a bed by any chance?”

Phil growled in response. They stumbled through the room, clothes falling to the floor, and when they reached the bed, Darcy crawled onto it, bringing Phil down with her.

Their lips met again, as their bodies pressed together, skin to skin. Darcy got impatient, “Let’s do this.”

Phil chuckled and kissed her softly. He pressed at her entrance pausing only a moment, before canting his hips forward. Darcy gasped at how good it felt to have Phil inside of her.

Their bodies moved together as they found a pleasant rhythm. Phil’s hands traveled down her sides, slipping inward to play at the delicate bundle of nerves at her center as he moved within her.

“Fuck,” Darcy moaned, her breath catching as her nerve endings caught on fire. Phil kept his rhythm as Darcy fluttered around him, his name on her lips, and within moments, he was riding out his own intense orgasm.

Phil collapsed in the bed beside Darcy, gathering her against him as they caught their breath.

“Ohhh, wow. Ok, so I’m a little pissed we didn’t do that before now.”

Phil chuckled, “It’s a damn shame.”

Darcy nuzzled against him, nipping at his chest, “You let me know when you’re up for round two.”

 

The next morning, Darcy disentangled herself from Phil and went into the bathroom to freshen up. When she came out, he was sitting up. He’d gotten dressed and was waiting on her. Darcy got dressed and stood looking out the window of the hotel room, at the city spread out beneath her in the soft morning light.

Phil was sitting on the bed watching her, and when he spoke his voice was soft, “You know, London is a good city. Lots to see and do. Central, easy access, it wouldn’t take much to make a trip here.”

Darcy turned back to him, eyebrow raised, “Really? You planning on coming back for a visit?”

“Possibly. Yes. I’d like to.”

Darcy nodded thoughtfully, “London’s a good city. How do you feel about New York, though?”

“New York?”

“Yeah, Jane’s been fending off offers of employment from Tony Stark for about six months now. The convergence is over, there’s really no reason for us to stay here. Plus, whenever Thor comes back, he’ll want to spend time with his shield brethren. I’m thinking Stark is finally gonna wear her down.”

“New York is definitely doable.”

“Yeah?”

Phil nodded, “Yeah.”

“Ok, well, I expect to hear from you then.”

“Probably sooner than you think.”

Darcy grinned at him, putting on her shoes and grabbing her purse. She stopped by where Phil was sitting on the edge of the bed and kissed his forehead, hesitating, then pressing a soft kiss to his mouth. She looked down into his eyes with a smile, “See you around, Phil.”

He squeezed her hand briefly as she passed by, “You will. Bye, Darcy.”

It wasn’t a promise, or anything. But it was something. As she walked down the hallway and out to the waiting taxi, Darcy didn’t feel like this was the end.

She felt like maybe they’d finally gotten their acts together, and even though the timing wasn’t exactly right, maybe it could be, eventually. Maybe she’d never hear from him again, and be one of the few who knew that he wasn’t six feet under. But she liked the possibility that things finally had a chance of working out, that maybe whatever they’d started in that dusty bar in New Mexico, and what they’d continued here, finally had a chance to be something bigger.


End file.
